針對伊拉克政府削減食物配給額的決策，經濟學者和巴格達居民認為，這會讓那些無法負擔開放市場上高價食物的窮困人民，生活更加雪上加霜。伊拉克正從社會主義轉型為自由市場經濟，因此儘管國內貧窮人口不斷增加，伊拉克政府仍決定將2006的食物配給預算從40億美元縮減為30億美元。
伊拉克政府已提供麵粉和糖等基本食品材料的津貼數十年之久。過去當伊拉克處於國際經濟制裁時期，聯合國擴大了補給計劃的規模。
然而，目前包括鹽、肥皂和豆類等日常生活必需品的津貼都已經被削減。貿易部發言人達烏德表示政府將持續提供伊拉克人民免費的稻米、糖、麵粉和食用油。該部宣稱過去在發放津貼時期缺乏的用品項目現在在公開市場上到處都買得了到，因此不需由政府來配給。
2800萬伊拉克人中大約96%從543個補給中心得到食物配給。在一份2004年報告中，聯合國世界糧食計畫署估計四分之一的人口高度依賴食物配給，因此警告一旦沒有食物配給，「許多低收入家庭，特別是婦女與小孩，將無法得到需攝取食物的基礎量。」
不過，達烏德則堅稱貿易部已經研究過取消津貼後帶來的衝擊，並且發現不會對許多家庭造成在經濟方面的傷害。
A government decision to cut food rations has hurt poor Iraqis who cannot afford high prices on the open market, say economists and Baghdad residents. Despite rising poverty, the government has decided to cut the food ration budget from US$4 billion to US$3 billion dollars in 2006, as the country shifts from a socialist to a free market economy.
The Iraqi government has provided subsidies on basic food items such as flour and sugar for decades. The United Nations expanded the program when the country was under crippling economic sanctions.
However, subsidies have now been cut on staples including salt, soap and beans. Trade Ministry spokesman Faraj Daud said the government will continuing to supply Iraqis with free rice, sugar, flour and cooking oil. The ministry claims that items that were once scarce during sanctions are now widely available on the open market and therefore do not need to be distributed by the government.
Approximately 96 percent of Iraq's 28 million people receive food rations managed by 543 centers. The UN World Food Programme estimated in a 2004 report that one-quarter of the population is highly dependent on the rations, warning that without them "many lower-income households, particularly women and children, would not be able to meet their food requirements."
Daud, however, insists that the ministry has studied the impact of cancelling the subsidies and found it would not hurt families economically.
